| August 18, 2009 $270
Incentive Offered to Exchange Backpack Leaf Blowers
Registration started today for the region’s popular leaf blower exchange
program where professional gardeners and landscapers can exchange older,
highly polluting backpack leaf blowers for new, low-emission units. Up to
1,500 blowers, among the quietest on the market, will be available at one of
the 11 exchange events.
Exchanging 1,500 older backpack blowers for new ones will help protect
public health by reducing an additional 21 tons of smog-forming pollution a
year.
“A typical blower emits in a single year the equivalent emissions of 10 new
vehicles each driven 20,000 miles,” said William A. Burke, Ed.D., Governing
Board Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD).
“It is important that older leaf blowers are retired to protect not only the
users from excess exposure to harmful smog-forming emissions but also the
public.”
For the fourth year in a row, AQMD will exchange 1,500 older leaf blowers
for new STIHL BR 500 models. The STIHL unit is nearly four times cleaner
than the California Air Resources Board’s standard for new blowers and it is
one the of quietest models available producing only 65 decibels, which is 40
times quieter than most models.
The new blowers will be sold for $200 plus tax, representing a $270 discount
from the retail price of $470. The old blowers will be scrapped.
To qualify for the leaf blower exchange, participants must register by
calling (888) 425-6247 starting August 18. Registration is open Tuesday
through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the program is sold out.
Spanish-speaking operators are available during those hours. The program is
open to professional gardeners and landscapers who live and work in AQMD’s
four-county jurisdiction. Exchanged blowers must be fully operational. Each
gardening and landscaping business may exchange up to 10 blowers. Cash,
checks or major credit cards will be accepted.
Program participants also are eligible for a $25 discount on selected STIHL
gardening equipment on the day of the exchange.
Exchanges start at 8 a.m. and end about 1 p.m. at the following locations:
Thursday, Aug. 27
Simon’s Power Equipment at Valley Plaza Park
12240 Archwood St., North Hollywood
Wednesday, Sept. 09
Lomita Mower & Saw
2344 Lomita Blvd., Lomita
Thursday, Sept. 10
Marco Power Equipment at Fred Roberts Park
4700 Honduras St., Los Angeles
Friday, Sept. 11
Temple City Lawnmower
9654 Lower Azusa Rd., Temple City
Tuesday, Sept. 15
B & M Lawn & Garden
2801 E. Miraloma Ave., Anaheim
Wednesday, Sept. 16
Best Lawnmower
722 S. Beach Blvd., La Habra
Thursday, Sept. 17
Mason’s Saw & Lawnmower
1724 Container Circle, Riverside
Friday, Sept. 18
Mowers Plus, Inc.
79141 Country Club Dr., Bermuda Dunes
Thursday, Sept. 24
Lawnmower Corner
1657 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Friday, Sept. 25
Alan’s Lawnmower & Garden
4621 W. First St., Santa Ana
Saturday, Sept. 26
Chino Mower & Engine Service
13546 A Central Ave., Chino
Visit
www.aqmd.gov/tao/leafblowerexchange.htm for more information in English
and Spanish.
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